Leading hotel brands in the UK 2008 (part 1) – Industry data
05 December 2008 by Angela Frewin
Whitbread remained the biggest hotel operator in the UK market in 2008, in terms of hotels hotels and bedroom numbers.
Its Premier Inn budget chain grew by more than 30 properties to 518-plus hotels by the end of August, while the bedroom tally soared by more than 3,400 to in excess of 36,000 rooms.
The second and third slots remained in the hands of InterContinental hotels and rival budget operator Travelodge, with 35,430 and 23,150 bedrooms across their respective 256 and 333 properties.
The biggest change at the top of the table stemmed from this year's inclusion of the Best Western marketing consortium, whose 285 hotel members made it the sixth largest player in the UK.
These figures for the year to 30 August 2008 are reported in British Hospitality: Trends and Statistics 2008, published by the British Hospitality Association.
The full report (which is free to BHA members) can be bought for £250 (for the printed version) or £200 (for a PDF file). Prices are progressively discounted as the year moves on. For enquiries or orders, phone 0207 404 7744 or contact bob.bacon@bha.org.uk.
View the next 50 top hotel groups here >>
View the top 100 hotel brands from the 2007 report >>
View the top 100 hotel brands from the 2006 report >>
TOP 100 HOTEL GROUPS WITH MORE THAN 200 BEDROOMS IN THE UK TO 31 AUGUST 2008
(BY NUMBER OF BEDROOMS) - PART I
| Company | Number of hotels | Brands | Number of rooms | Hotels (and rooms) worldwide | |
| 1 | Whitbread Hotel Company](http://www.whitbread.co.uk/) | 518+ | [Premier Inn](http://www.premierinn.com/pti/home.do) | 36,000+ | 519 |
| 2 | [InterContinental Hotels Group](http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/6c/1/en/c/1/content/dec/teaser/6c/1/en/lp/ukmult.html) | 256 | InterContinental (1), \*Crowne Plaza (18), \*Holiday Inn (116), \*Express by Holiday Inn (120), Staybridge Suites (1) | 34,530 | 4,000 (590,000) |
| 3 | [Travelodge](http://www.travelodge.co.uk/) [Dubai International Capital](http://www.dubaiic.com/) | 333+ | Travelodge | 23,150 | 345+ (24,000+) |
| 4 | [Accor Hotels](http://www.accor.co.uk/gb/index.asp) | 130 | \*Sofitel (3) Novotel (31), Mercure (29), Ibis (50), Etap (12), Formule 1 (5) | 18,952 | 4,000+ (500,000) |
| 5 | [Hilton Hotel Corporation](http://hiltonworldwide.hilton.com/en/ww/index.jhtml;jsessionid=GVFMHVR4DDBKKCSGBI1MVCQKIYFC5UUC) | 71 | Hilton (69),\*Garden Inn (1), \*Doubletree (1) | 15,610 | 3,000(500,000) |
| 6 | [Best Western](http://www.bestwestern.co.uk/) | 285 | Best Western | 15,305 | 4,035 (308,636) |
| 7 | [Marriott International](http://marriott.co.uk/Channels/globalSites/default.mi?country=UK) | 52 | Renaissance (3), Marriott (48), JW Marriott (1) | 11,436 | 2,800 (517,900) |
| 8 | [Wyndham Worldwide](http://www.wyndhamworldwide.com/) | 107 | \*Days Inn (25), \*Days Hotel (10), \*Ramada (65), \*Ramada Encore (6), Wyndham Grand (1) | 10,589 | 6,550 (551,000) |
| 9 | [Carlson Hotels Worldwide](http://www.carlson.com/brands/hotels.cfm) | 40 | \*Radisson (11), \*Park Inn (19), Park Plaza (8), \*Country Inns & Suites (1) | 7,725 | 995 (148,000) |
| 10 | [De Vere ](http://www.devere.co.uk/default.aspx)(AHG)[](http://www.amtcoffee.co.uk/) | 62 | De Vere Hotels (12), Village (20), Venues (30) | 7,310 | |
| 11 | [Thistle Hotels](http://www.thistlehotels.com/thistle/hotels/;jsessionid=AZNHIR1WTLS32CQFBQFCFEQKAUGBIIV0?_requestid=2751379) | 35 | Thistle (32), Guomon (3) | 7,040 | |
| 12 | [Britannia Hotels](http://www.britanniahotels.com/default.asp) | 33 | 7,000 | ||
| 13 | [The Rezidor Hotel Group](http://www.rezidor.com/) | 31 | †Radisson SAS (11), †Park Inn (19), †Country Inns & Suites (1) | 6,034 | 350 (74,000) |
| 14 | [Choice Hotels International](http://www.choicehotels.com/) | 75 | \*Clarion (3), \*Comfort (14) \*Quality (45), \*Comfort Inn (13) | 6,020 | 5,500 |
| 15 | [Ramada Jarvis Hotels](http://www.ramadajarvis.co.uk/) | 43 | †Ramada (43) | 4,900 | |
| 16 | [Jurys Inn](http://www.jurysinns.com/)s ([Quinlan Private](http://www.quinlanprivate.com/) and Oman Investment Fund) | 17 | Jurys Inn | 4,538 | 23 (5,626) |
| 17 | [Millennium Copthorne Hotels](http://www.millenniumhotels.com/) | 20 | Millennium (7), Copthorne (13) | 4,496 | 110+ (29,500) |
| 18 | [Macdonald Hotels](http://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/) | 51 | Resorts (5), Associate hotels (6) | 4,369 | 55 |
| 19 | [Mitchells & Butlers](http://www.mbplc.com/) | 116 | Innkeepers Lodge (91), †Express by Holiday Inn (25) | 4,250 | |
| 20 | [Shearings Hotels](http://www.washearings.com/uk/) | 49 | 3,932 | ||
| 21 | [Somerston Hotels](http://www.somerstonhotels.co.uk/) | 32 | †Express by Holiday Inn (31), †Ramada Encore (1) | 3,795 | |
| 22 | [Real Hotel Company](http://www.realhotelcompany.com/) | 39 | Purple (10), Stop Inn (6), †Quality (20), †Clarion (2), †Comfort (1) | 3,370 | 54 (4,581) |
| 23 | [Imperial London Hotels](http://www.imperialhotels.co.uk/index.htm) | 6 | 3,355 | ||
| 24 | [Principal Hayley ](http://www.principal-hayley.com/default.aspx) | 18 | Principal hotels (8), Venues (10) | 3,212 | 20 (3,548) |
| 25 | [QMH Hotels](http://www.qmh-hotels.com/) | 18 | †Crowne Plaza (3), †Holiday Inn (12), Best Western (3) | 2,870 | |
| 26 | [Barceló Hotels & Resorts ](http://www.barcelo-hotels.co.uk/) | 20 | Barceló | 2,712 | 160 |
| 27 | [Warner Holidays](http://www.warnerleisurehotels.co.uk/index.cfm?page=1007) ([Bourne Leisure](http://www.bourneleisuresales.co.uk/)) | 13 | 2,704 | ||
| 28 | [Q Hotels](http://www.qhotels.co.uk/) | 21 | 2,700 | ||
| 29 | [Crerar Hotels](http://www.crerarhotels.com/) | 31 | Crerar (9), Swallow (22) | 2,498 | |
| 30 | [Radisson Edwardian Hotels](http://www.radissonedwardian.com/) | 13 | Radisson Edwardian | 2,469 | |
| 31 | [Arora International Hotels](http://www.arorainternational.com/) | 7 | Arora (4), †Sofitel (2), †Mercure (1) | 2,429 | |
| 32 | [Starwood Hotels and Resorts](http://www.starwoodhotels.com/) | 9 | Sheraton (5), St Regis (1), Le Meridien (1), Luxury Collection (1), Westin (1), | 2,350 | 871 (266,000) |
| 33 | [Folio Hotels](http://www.foliohotels.com/) ^ | 36 | †Ramada (5), †Days Hotel (1), Best Western (1), Associate (9) | 2,322 | |
| 34 | [BDL](http://www.bdlhotels.co.uk/) including Ramcore and Select (4 ex-Paten Hotels) | 17 | †Crowne Plaza (2), †Express By Holiday Inn (5), †Holiday Inn (2), †Ramada Encore (3), †Staybridge Suites (1), BDL Select (4) | 2,242 | |
| 35 | [Greene King](http://www.greeneking.co.uk/) | 95 | Old English Inns (69), Greene King Inns (26) | 2,143 | |
| 36 | [Oxford Hotels & Inns](http://www.oxfordhotelsandinns.com/) | 54 | 2,100 | ||
| 37 | [Kew Green Hotels](http://www.kewgreen.co.uk/) | 19 | †Holiday Inn (12), †Days Hotels (3), †Express by Holiday Inn (3), †Crowne Plaza (1) | 1,944 | |
| 38 | [Malmaison Group (MWB)](http://www.mwb.co.uk/mwb/hotels.jsp) [](http://www.greeneking.co.uk/) | 23 | Malmaison (11), Hotel du Vin (12) | 1,716 | |
| 39 | [Menzies Hotels](http://www.menzies-hotels.co.uk/) | 17 | 1,700 | ||
| 40 | [Louvre Hotels](http://www.louvrehotels.com/en/index.aspx) | 19 | Campanile (19) | 1,588 | 800+ (63,000) |
| 41 | [Chardon Management](http://www.hotelmanagementservices.com/) | 14 | †Holiday Inn (7), †Express by Holiday Inn (4), †Quality Hotel (1), Best Western (1) | 1,557 | |
| 42 | [morethanhotels](http://www.morethanhotels.com/) | 12 | †Express by Holiday Inn (12) | 1,399 | |
| 43 | [Splendid Hotel Group](http://www.splendidhotels.co.uk/)[](http://www.starwoodhotels.com/) | 20 | †Express by Holiday Inn (5), †Holiday Inn (3), †Comfort (3), †Comfort Inns & Suites (1), Best Western (1), Easy Hotel (1) | 1,383 | |
| 44 | [Alfa-Leisureplex](http://www.alfatravel.co.uk/alfabrochure.ASP?WCI=Leisureplex_Home)[](http://www.cityinn.com/) | 17 | 1,349 | ||
| 45 | [City Inn](http://www.cityinn.com/)[](http://www.kewgreen.co.uk/) | 5 | City Inn | 1,314 | |
| 46 | [Cairn Hotel Group](http://www.cairnhotelgroup.com/)[](http://www.quintessential-hotels.co.uk/) | 16 | 1,307 | ||
| 47 | [Centre Island](http://www.centreisland.co.uk/) | 9 | †Crowne Plaza (3), †Holiday Inn (3), †Express by Holiday Inn (2), | 1,280 | |
| 48 | [Forestdale Hotels](http://www.forestdale.com/) | 18 | 1,209 | ||
| 49 | [Grange Hotels](http://www.grangehotels.com/) | 14 | 1,193 | ||
| 50 | [Firoka Group](http://www.thekassamstadium.co.uk/firoka.html)[ | 6 | †Holiday Inn (1), †Express by Holiday Inn (2), Best Western (1) | 1,141 |
\* Some or all franchised to another operator † Franchised hotels
^ Folio Hotels went into administration in December 2008
